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Welcome back to Vested Shorts.
Since the introduction of SIPs for Global Funds, there has been strong participation from investors. Alongside equity-focused funds, many investors are also looking at where to park capital in the short term.
So this week, we are taking a closer look at the USD Money Market Fund (LU0011815304).
This fund is designed to invest in high-quality, short term US dollar instruments, focusing on capital preservation and liquidity. It typically holds treasury bills. commercial paper, and other short-duration securities, making it relatively lower risk compared to equity or long-duration debt funds.
The idea here is simple. Instead of leaving idle cash uninvested, this provides a way to earn returns in USD while maintaining flexibility.
It can be useful in scenarios where you are waiting to deploy capital, managing short-term allocations, or looking to reduce volatility in your overall portfolio.
If you are thinking about how to manage your USD exposure more efficiently, this is one way to approach it.
Explore the JPMorgan USD Money Market Fund on Vested
Now, let us get into this week’s edition.
The World in a Week: How Major Markets Moved
U.S. | Markets ended the holiday-shortened week higher, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones gaining 3.36% and 2.96%, respectively, amid easing geopolitical concerns. U.S. Treasuries advanced as yields softened, with the 10-year yield falling from 4.44% → 4.31%, signaling cooling rate pressure.
Europe | Markets moved higher, with France’s CAC 40 rising 3.48% and the UK’s FTSE 100 gaining 4.70%, reflecting broad-based strength. Gains were supported by improving sentiment and easing macro concerns across the region.
Japan | Markets declined, with the Nikkei 225 down 1.7% and TOPIX falling 1.0%, pressured by rising oil prices and renewed geopolitical uncertainty. Expectations of a potential rate hike grew as inflation concerns picked up, with the 10-year yield rising to 2.39%.
China | Markets were mixed, with CSI 300 down 0.53% while the Shanghai Composite edged up 0.14%; Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.66%. Sentiment balanced improving domestic activity signals against ongoing external risks, with holiday closures impacting trading activity.
India | Markets edged lower, with the Nifty 50 slipping 0.47% to close at 22,713.10, reflecting mild profit booking after recent gains. Sentiment remained cautious amid global volatility, though domestic fundamentals continue to provide underlying support.
Commodities | Oil prices remained volatile amid geopolitical tensions, supporting energy markets, while gold gained around 4.07% as safe-haven demand picked up. Bitcoin rebounded modestly, rising 0.88% to hover near $66.9K, reflecting mixed risk sentiment.
Stock market closing data for the week of Mar 30 to Apr 3, 2026
Index information: STOXX 600 (tracks 600 large, mid- & small-cap EU firms), DAX (top 40 German blue chips), CAC 40 (leading French stocks), Nikkei 225 (225 top Japanese stocks), CSI 300 & SSEC (mainland China A-shares), and Hang Seng (large-cap Hong Kong-listed firms). For these indices, we track 1-week returns to capture how global sentiment is shifting.
News Summaries
US Stocks Mixed as Oil Tops $110 and Iran War Uncertainty Drives Volatility
U.S. equity markets finished the week mixed as sharp gains in energy prices weighed on sentiment and traders digested conflicting geopolitical signals. U.S. crude oil topped ~$110 per barrel this week – up more than 10% after President Trump signaled tougher military strikes in Iran, fueling inflation and supply-risk concerns.
The surge in oil sparked volatility across major indices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell ~1.2%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq trimmed losses and ended slightly mixed ahead of the Good Friday holiday, as diplomatic signals from Iran and Oman helped calm some supply disruption fears.
Energy stocks and defensive sectors outperformed this week, benefiting from elevated crude prices, while interest-rate sensitive and consumer discretionary names lagged. Higher oil prices are also expected to feed into inflation data, further dimming prospects for near-term Fed rate cuts.
For investors, the key takeaway is that energy price dynamics are now a central driver of equity volatility, with oil’s jump carrying implications for inflation, Fed policy, and sectoral leadership in the coming weeks.
Oracle Lays Off Thousands as AI Spending Ramps; Stock Down 57% from Highs
Shares of Oracle have plunged roughly 57% from their 52-week high, as the company announces one of the largest rounds of layoffs in its history amid heavy investment in AI infrastructure. The cuts, estimated to impact 20,000–30,000 employees globally, were communicated in early-morning emails and are part of a broader effort to free up $8–10 billion in cash flow for AI and data center buildouts.
Oracle’s cloud unit continues to operate at a relatively low gross margin (~14%), far below peers, even as capital expenditures for AI expand. The workforce reductions follow a period in which the stock has lost nearly half its value despite continued revenue and profit growth, underscoring investor concerns about the company’s AI strategy and funding path.
The layoffs have hit multiple regions – including significant cuts in India and span engineering, cloud, and product teams. Severance terms and notice periods varied, with some employees reporting abrupt termination notices.
Why it matters: Oracle’s move illustrates the growing tension between massive AI investment and traditional enterprise tech business models, and highlights the market’s increasing focus on profitability and execution risk in the transition to AI-driven infrastructure.
Rubrik Rallies 6% Amid Insider Buying and AI Governance Platform Wins
Shares of Rubrik rose about ~6% this week, supported by director insider buying and strong product momentum. Director Mark McLaughlin purchased 10,638 shares (~$500,000) at ~$47.21 on March 30, signalling executive confidence despite recent volatility.
Rubrik also continued to expand its enterprise security footprint with the launch of its Semantic AI Governance Engine (SAGE) and deeper integration with Microsoft Defender, reinforcing demand for AI-centric data protection and recovery tools at the RSA Conference.
The company reported solid quarterly results in March with revenue up ~46% YoY and EPS beating estimates, even as sell-side analysts trimmed price targets amid broader cyber stock weakness.
Why it matters: The combination of insider buying, product innovation, and earnings beats alongside a modest stock uptick suggests narrowing divergence between operational performance and market sentiment for Rubrik, making it a name to watch in cybersecurity and enterprise AI.
Private Markets Pulse | Databricks Commits $850M to UK AI Expansion
Databricks announced a major $850 million investment to expand its operations and AI footprint in the United Kingdom over the next few years. The plan includes quadrupling its London office space, doubling local staff, and scaling adoption of core products like Lakebase and Genie across enterprise customers.
The initiative aims to attract top UK-based AI talent while training future data & AI leaders, supporting both AI infrastructure and workforce development — a strategic push as Europe strengthens its position as a leading AI hub.
The investment underscores continued global demand for scalable enterprise data+AI platforms and positions Databricks as a key player in competing with other AI ecosystem leaders across the US and EU.
Rather than product tweaks, the emphasis this week is clearly on geographic expansion and talent buildup, signalling confidence in long-term enterprise AI demand.
For investors tracking Databricks closely, Vested provides access to invest in Databricks through a Private Markets offering.
